Commentary
The Canadian Armed Forces has long reflected the very best of our country. Courage. Duty. Service before self. It has also recognized another enduring truth: many who volunteer to defend Canada draw strength from faith. For more than 150 years, military chaplains have stood alongside Canadian soldiers, sailors, and aviators in times of war and peace, offering prayers rooted in their respective faith traditions. That tradition has never divided our Armed Forces. It has strengthened them.
The Department of National Defence’s new guidance on spiritual reflections breaks sharply with that tradition. Under the banner of inclusivity, the restrictions now extend well beyond military chaplains. They apply to Canadian Armed Forces members, Department of National Defence employees, contractors, and volunteers participating in official ceremonies. Explicit references to God are replaced with carefully prescribed, non-denominational reflections. The stated objective is inclusion. The practical effect is the exclusion of genuine religious expression….